Lice present a source of serious health problems worldwide for man and animals. Not only do lice carry a variety of bacteria on their outer surfaces, but in their fecal matter as well. Lice transmit the bacteria to their hosts through puncture wounds which are inflicted during feeding, since lice must feed from their host's blood. Ailments ranging from skin infections to typhus can be traced back to lice infestation.
Lice belong to the order Anoplura. Specific species that affect human beings include pediculus capitis (head lice), pediculus humanus (body lice) and pthiris pubic (pubic lice). Lice are capable of spreading rapidly. A fertilized female lays about six to eight eggs, or nits, every twenty-four hours. It has been estimated that a single female louse and her daughters could have 112,778 offspring in a period of forty-eight days.
Pediculus capitis clings to the hair shaft when feeding, mating, and laying eggs. Removal of nits is particularly difficult, as each nit is cemented to a shaft of hair by a glycoprotein glue, acting as a binding cement. Lice eggs themselves are covered by a chitinous sheath which surrounds both the nit and the attached hair shaft.
Various methods and compositions have been used to remove lice, for example mechanical removal with combs and chemical removal with insecticides (known as pediculicides). Pediculicides, such as lindane and various permethrins, have been used in conjunction with shampoos for killing and rinsing out lice. However, as noted in the prior art, the use of these methods and compositions is not entirely effective in controlling head lice, as some lice often survive the treatment. Indeed, the National Pediculosis Association has reported that twenty to eighty percent of nits survive initial pediculicide treatment, resulting in reinfestation.
In the prior art, pyrethrum, permethrin, and lindane pesticides, all work as central nervous system toxins on lice. Their effectiveness depends on their ability to reach the functioning central nervous system on lice. Unfortunately, nits do not develop a functioning central nervous system until they are between three and four days old, during an average incubation period of approximately ten days. As a result, only sixty to seventy percent of nits treated can be killed upon application of one of these pediculicides.
Moreover, recently, lice may have begun to develop resistance to current pediculicides. For example, resistance has already been documented in Europe, United States and Israel. Thus, a new active to kill lice and their eggs is desirable.
It has been discovered that Spinosyn A and Spinosyn D, compounds that have been used as insecticides for turf building and ornamental plants may be used for killing lice. Spinosyn A and Spinosyn D are components of a fermentation product derived from the bacterium species Saccharopolyspora spinosa. The bacteria decomposes much of the organic matter in soil and the most active metabolites from this fermentation were identified as Spinosyn A and D.
The chemical structure of spinosad contains two sugar molecules, one located at each end. A tetracyclic ring structure joins the two sugars. This structure is one of a class of compounds called macrolides. The chemical structure of spinosyns has the general formula of:

R is defined as any chemical group which provides pediculicidal and ovacidal properties, most preferably H and CH3.
It is known that Spinosyn A and Spinosyn D are useful as insecticides against Lepidoptera and Diptera species. Spinosyns have been used in a pediculicidal shampoo. The prior art does not teach the use of spinosyns in solution.
Known pediculicides have been noted to be ineffective on killing ova. Thus, the use of these pediculicides results in a reinfestation of the hair or skin as soon as the ova hatch, since the treatment was ineffective in controlling and killing the ova. A need has arisen to develop an effective treatment for both adult lice and their ova in a cosmetically elegant form.